WERA Grattan report

DCEMotorsports · 05-19-2003, 4:45 PM

My learning curve continues.

This was my first official race weekend in 2 seasons. Talk about butterflies! ! ! Sat. was my MW Solo 20. Ever do one of those? I thought a comfortable pace would be in order. After all, it's 20 laps of Grattan! No pace was needed, it was a sprint. I was gridded on the pole because I was the first to enter. Being unfamiliar with the WERA starter, he caught me with my pants down as it were. I got to t1 as best I could. After the crowd thinned out I could start to pick 'em off. I'd catch and pass 'em as I found 'em. Worked on my body position in the corners alot. Dragged my right toe so much I almost wore through my boot! (added ride heigth to fix that). I scrambled to salvage a 14th. The Michelins were fabulous. Tons of grip.

My first race on Sunday was better. I was gridded at the back and got a good jump on the field. I passed the leader on the outside of t2 and never looked back. I took the checkers with a 4 second gap. It is tough to race from the front. You start to think of all sorts of stupid things. I had to keep focused on every corner. Feels good to finally get on top of the box. Came close years ago.

My second race was a DNS. We forgot to plug in the tire warmers! Amature mistake. I'll never do that again. Cold Michelins feel like 2 flat tires on the race track. I pulled in rather than attempting a recovery from a crash.

In my third race I was gridded on the inside of the 5th row. I got a good start and jumped into the 3rd row ahead. The drag race to t1 was close. Bikes in front swerving around. Bike on my left coming so close we bumped knees going through the corner. I held my position and had a good line into t2. More swerving and near bumping out of t2 and into t3. I held my position and gassed it hard out of t4 over the 'jump'. We were finally strung out some so I could start to tie together the corners. I caught up to the end of the lead pack to a guy who was riding way over his head to stay there. I showed him a wheel under braking into t1 but no good. I showed him my wheel again going into t3 but he had the line into t4. I then showed it to him again on the outside of t5 but could not get him to back off. He ran wide out of the 'bowl' and I almost got him but he gassed it up and kept the line through the sweeper (t8). We were coming to the blind right 'hairpin' so I figured I would apex late and outdrive him up the hill heading for the straight. Well my pressure paid off as he wobbled into t9 under braking and drifted wide out of the corner. I squared it off and slammed the door on him at the kink before the hill. One down, don't know how many to go. Well all that messing around with 'wobbly' allowed someone else to catch up with me and I got passed under braking into t1. I wicked it up and latched onto him. I knew I could go faster everywhere so this guy would give me the incentive. We caught the next guy quickly going into t9 (hairpin). The guy in front of me went to the outside of the rider in front of him. It spooked that guy so bad he stood it up and NASCARed the both of them into the grass. BONUS. I squared off the corner and put my head down. The leaders has made their break and I was all alone. My last lap was my fastest of the weekend (1:27.1) because I didn't want to get passed again. I finished a lonly 5th! All in all a great finish for being away for 2 seasons.

More to come-

SuperDave · 05-19-2003, 5:11 PM

Good read DCE, I admire you guys out there swinging it out. Maybe one day for me. Without the tire warmers couldn't you have still run (slower pace) a few laps to heat them up or are you so far back it wouldn't be worth it? I didn't realize tire warmers were that important.

Good job, you d'man!

phozed · 05-19-2003, 5:12 PM

top of the box? very nice! congrats on such a strong start after your break from racing!

abtech · 05-19-2003, 7:00 PM

Could have sworn you ran a MGP event last year, or am I blacking out for a year . . .

DCEMotorsports · 05-19-2003, 11:08 PM

Yeah, I admit that I ran a couple of events with MGP. Eric didn't charge me any entry fees and I started from the back row so I would not interfere with anyones race for points. I was just trying out the F4.

I'm officially racing now. I'm spending way too much.

vtr996 · 05-20-2003, 1:24 AM

Congrats! must feel great to get a win your 1st weekend back

thedoctor · 05-20-2003, 3:52 AM

Quote:

DCEMotorsports : I'm spending way too much.

Welcome to the STM club *(spending too much).

Great read! *Wow, well done on your results, really means something to me having ridden round behind you at Grattan trying to keep up

Get a map of Oulton park and revise every single corner first .

DCEMotorsports · 05-20-2003, 1:05 PM

superdave - This is the first time I've used tire warmers and now I see why almost everyone does. I could have ran the race on cold tires but I was gridded on the 4th row. I was affraid that I would 'run it in' to t1 with everyone else and slide into someone knocking them and/or myself down. I hate crashing more than anything. You are right, a couple of laps and the tires would have gotten up to temp but in the mean time I could have gone down or someone would plow into me because I was going slow in the first few corners. If I was chasing points, I would have soldiered on to finish. I'm just having fun and don't want to crash if I can help it.

The great thing about heated tires is that you don't have to think about your tires. You know that you can 'put it on it's ear' in the first corner and not worry about it. It was such a liberating feeling not worrying about a slip or a slide from questionable tires. I could concentrate on being accurate, smooth and some strategy.

tigerblade · 05-20-2003, 3:50 PM

I know what you mean about the Michelins. They definitely take a little bit to get up to temp.